Hand-propelled vehicle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

C. YINGST.

HAND PROPBLLED VEHICLE. l No. 399,110. Patented Mar. 5, I1889.V

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(No Model.) 2 sheetssheen 2.

C. YINGST. HAND PROPELLED VEHICLE.

Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

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N. PETERS. PwoLithogriphcr, Waanmgwn. D. C.

UNiTED Sterns niet @trice YRUS YINGST, OF ANNVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAN D-PROPELLED VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,110, dated March 5, 1889.

Application Sled January 2, 1889.

To all whom it may concern@ L Be it known that l, CYRUs 'YINGs'1`, a citif i zen of the United States, and a resident of Annville, in the countyof Lebanon and State ot" Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Propelled Vehicles; and l do hereby declare the tollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artl to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates toa haml-propellcd vehicle especially adapted t'or use by invalids Within the house or in the open air on a piazza or sidewalk; and it has vfor its objects, Afirst, to provide means whereby the occupant can propel the vehicle with very little labor and exertion; second, to adapt the vehicle to be guided or steered either by hand or the knees; third, to provide a table for holding a bool; in convenient position for the occupant to read without supporting the book, or the table mav be used to support other articles within convenient reach of the occupant, and it also partly conceals the mechanisms for steering the machine and for taking up the slack in the sprocket-chains; fourth, to provide the bed of the vehicle with means Jfor holding against lateral displacement either a removable platform or a rocking-chair, and, iinallv, to improve the vehicle in minor details ol construction, and thus simplify and make the same more durable. Y

AlVith these ends in view my invention consists ot the combination of devices and peculiar emlstruction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

'To enable others to understand my inven tion, l will now proceed to describe the same in conncfmion with the accompanying drawings, in whichd Figure 1 is atop plan view ot my improved vehicle, showing the removable platform con- ,neeted to the bed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the rocking-chair in position on the bed. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line y y ot Fig. l.. Fig. a is a vertical sectional vieu through the supplemental frame on the line :l: t ot' Fig, 1.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

I n the embodiment ot my invention l em- Serial No. 295,l72. (No model.)

ploy a horizontal bed, l, ol suitable dimensions and mount the sameupon Yfront and rear axles, 2 and f3,respecti\'elv,tl1e rear axle being fixed or permanently secured to the bed, While the Yi'ront axle is pivotallgv connected by a vertical king-bolt, i, to a bolster, 5, which is fixed to the underside oi the bed at the front end thereof, each ot' the axles 2 il having a pair ol wheels, 6, fitted thereon.

7 designates a front steering-wheel,'which islocated in advance ol' the bed and its wheels, and this steering-wheel is secured on a horizontal shaft, tl, which is journaled in the lower extremities ot two parallel members or plates, il, ot' a vertical fork, l0. The upper ends ot' the members il ot the t'ork are permanently secured to the upper member, ll, thereof by means ot bolts, as shown, and to the "upper end ot' the t'ork lo is secured a horizontal cross-head l. This crossdcad consists ot' two horizontal bars, lil lil', which are bolted to get-her by vertical bolts 1l, and between the opposing faces ot these bars 12S 13 are interposed the ends of the sides 15 oll a supplemental frame, lo, which is arranged in a horizontal position in rear of the cross-head l2. This supplemental frame lo consists of the tivo parallel sides 15 and front and rear cross bars or arms 1T, which unite the rear and front ends of the sides 15, and the front end of this supplemental trame is rigidly united to the cross-head 12 and the vertical forlc b v means ot the vertical bolts 14, which pass through said front ends of the sides of the trame 16 and the bars 13 13 of the cross-head, wherebyT the supplemental frame is caused. to move or turn with the cross-head and the forli.

The front axle, of the vehicle is connected with the vertical forli by means of a plate, 1S, and a vertical hanger, 1.0, said plate and hanger being made, preferably, ot steel. The plate is secured rigidi)7 to the 'front axle, between the wheels thereof, and has its front edge beveled, as shown, and the hanger joins this front edge ot the plate at the apex thereof. The hanger extends upwardly in a vert-ical line 'from the plate for a short. dis

tance, then inclines rearwardly, as at 19', until it clears the rear edge ol the supplemental trame 1G, and is then bent into a hori zontal arm, 19, which extends forwardly toward the cross-head and beneath the middle lOO of the frame, the rear cross bar or arm 1T of said frame 1G resting on the horizontal arm 19 of the hanger to assist in supporting the rear end ot' the Supplemental trame. A slot or space, 20, is formed between the opposing faces of the bars 13 13 of the cross-head, and in the middle of this slot is titted the extreme forward end of the arm 19 of the Ahanger 18. This hanger 18 is pivotally connected to the cross-head and vertical fork by means of a vertical king-bolt, 21, that is xed to the lower member, 13, ol' the cross-head and passes through thc forward end of the arm 19 and the upper member, 13, of said crosshead, the king-'bolt heilig' extended through and above the member lil for a short distance and having secured to its upper extremity a horizontal lamp-support, 22.

` It will be observed that the hangerand the front axle can move or swing on the king-bolt 21 independently of any movementof the supplemental frame, the cross-head, and the vertical fork; but l have provided means for locking the hanger and supplemental frame together at different angles, as may be required in traveling in a straight line or describing an arc of a circle. This locking means consists ot a latch, 23, which is arranged between the sides 15 of the supplemental frame and above the horizontal arm of the hanger, and

the forward end of the latch is pivoted to a short lixed post, 2-1, secured to the front end of the hanger immediately in rear of the crosshead, as shown in Fig. 3. This latch is capable of vertical movement or play, and at its rear end it has ,a depending tooth or prong, 25, that is adapted to enter either of a series of notches, 2G, preferably7 three in number, and spaced equidistant in the rear edge of the cross-bar 17 of the supplemental frame, a vertical aperture, 27, being formed in the horizontal arm of the hanger in position for either of the notches 26 to align therewith.

Then it is desired to steer the machine in a straight line, the supplemental frame is adj usted to cause the middle notch to align with the aperture 27, and the prong of the latch is adjusted to lock the supplemental frame to the hanger, whereby the hanger and front axle are caused to turn with the supplemental frame, the cross-head, and the vertical fork, and thus follow the steeringwheel. Then it is desired to turn either to the right or left, or to describe an arc of a circle, the latch is lifted out of the aperture 27, and the supplemental frame, the cross-head fork, and steering-wheel turned to the desired direction until the proper notch, 2G, of the frame aligns with the aperture 27, when the latch is lowered to cause the prong thereof to enter the aligned notch and aperture, and thus lock the supplemental frame to the hanger.

A horizontal power-shaft, 28, is mount-ed in bearings 29, supported on the supplemental frame 16, and the ends of this power-shaft are extended beyond the ends of the supplemental frame and provided with sprocket'- the chains to the shaft 8 of the front steering- 1- wheel to propel the vehicle.

In order to permit the slack in the sprocketn chains to be readily taken up and thus maintain the proper tension in the same, I have provided means whereby the distance between the power-shaft. and the shaft 8 can be varied. To accomplish this end, the bearings 29 are connected to the sides of the supplemental frame by a p'in-and-slot connection, 33, to adapt said bearings to be moved longitudinally on the frame, and these bearings have threaded openings 34 in their rear sides,in which work the forward ends of adjusting-screws 34:,the rear ends of which are passed through slots 35, formed in vertical lugs 3G on the rear end 'of the supplemental frame, at the sides therelt will be observed that the shaft 28 can of. be drawn away from the horizontal shaft 8 and toward the rear 'of the supplemental frame by merely tu rning the ad j ustin g-screws in the proper directions, and that the slacknin the sprocket-chains can thereby be readily taken up. I have also provided means for steering the machine by the knees of the occupant when the hands are engaged in propelling the vehicle. This mechanism consists of a horizontal plate, 37, arranged at the rear of the supplemental frame and immediately above the bed of the vehicle, and this plate is attached by lugs 37 to the rear of the supplemental frame, and at each end Ait has a IOO socket or clasp, 38, adapted to receive the knees of the occupant while seated on the bed.

Then it is desired to steer with the knees, the latch is lifted up and the prong thereof placed in a recess, 39, -formed in the rear bar 17 of the supplemental frame, so that said latch will not enter either of the notches or vertical aperture of the hanger, and the supplemental frame, the cross-head, vertical fork, and steering-wheel can then be moved in either direction at the will of the attendant or occupant.

40 40 designate inclined braces, which'iare secured to the rear end of the supplemental frame, at `the sides thereof, and the lower front ends of the braces are secured to the ends of a horizontal bar, atl, which is fixed to the vertical fork, at right angles thereto, whereby the inclined braces serve to brace' and strengthen the supplemental frame.

42 is the table, which is'arranged in a horizontally-inclined position above the supplemental frame and the devices supported thereon, the front edge of the table terminating in rear of the lamp-holder. The rear which are passed the rear ends of the adjusting-screws, which thus serve tosupport the rear end of the table, While at the same time they are capable of turning freely in said lugs, and the front end of the table is supported by means of vertical standards 44, which are fixed to the sides of the supplemental frame at the front end thereof. This table serves to support a book in a convenient position to enable the occupant to read the same, and other articles can be placed thereon within convenient reach of the occupant, which is very desirable.

45 designates an easy or rocking chair, the rockers of which are provided with metallic plates all), in which are formed a series of perforations, which receive a series of studs, 4-7, fixed to metallic plates 48, that are secured to the horizontal bed l of the vehicle. By means of these apertured and studded plates i6 LIS the chair can be rocked or oscillated on the bed l when the vehicle is in motion Without danger of lateral displacement. The rocking-chair can be replaced by a horizontal platform, lll, which has a series of openings in its lower sides to receive the studs and a railing or ledge, 50, around its upper edge to prevent displacement of the contents of the platform.

The operation of my invention Will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details of construct-ion and form and proportion of parts herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention, as I am aware that changes therein can be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a hand-propelled vehicle, the combi.

nation of a vertical fork carrying a steering'- wheel, a supplemental frame secured rigidly to the fork, a hanger pivotally connected to the fork and rigidly connected to a pivoted front axle, a bed, devices for detachably locking the supplemental Aframe to the hanger, and adriving-shatt journaled in the supplemental frame and connected to the axle of the steering-Wheel, substantially as and for the purpose described. A

2. In a hand-propelled vehicle, the combination of a bed having a pivoted front axle, a vertical fork having a. rigid cross-head at its upper end and a steering-wheel journaled in its lower end, a supplemental frame rigidly secured to the cross-head, a hanger secured at one end to the front axle of the bed and having a horizontal arm arranged beneath the supplemental frame and pivoted to the crossshead, a device for adjust-ably and detach-ably locking the supplemental frame to the arm of the hanger, and a power-shaft journaled in the supplei'nental frame and gearin g to the axle of the steering-Wheel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a hand-propelled vehicle, the combination of a bed having a pivoted front axle, a vertical fork carrying a steering-Wheel, a cross-head rigidly secured to the upper end of the fork, a hanger rigidly secured to the front axle of the bed and havingahorizontal perforated arm pivoted to the cross-head, a supplemental frame rigidly secured to the cross-head and provided with a notched rear bar, which rests on the horizontal arm of the hanger, a latch pivot-ed to the arm of the hanger and having a prong adapted to enter one of the notches and the aperture of the supplemental frame and han ger-arm, respectively, and a power-shaft j ournaled in the supplemental frame and geared to the shaft of the steering-wheel, sul'istantiallyT as and for the purpose described.

fl. In a hand-propelled vehicle, the combination of a bed having a front axle, a vertical fork carrying a steering-Wheel and a crosshead, a hanger pivoted to the cross-head and rigidly secured to the front axle, a supplemental frame secured to the cross-head, ahorizontal plate-secured to the rear end of the supplemental fra-me and having' the sockets for the reception of the knees of the occupant of the vehicle, and a locking device for detachably conn eeting said supplemental frame to the hanger, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a hand-propelled vehicle, the combination of a bed having a pivoted front axle, a vertical fork carrying a cross-head, a steering-Wheel rotatively mounted in the lower end of the 'fork and having gear-wheels provided on its extended ends, a supplemental frame rigidly secured to the cross-head, a transverse bar secured te the fork above the axle of the steering-Wheel, inclined braces secured to the ends of said transverse bar and the rear end of the frame, a powershaft journaled in the supplemental frame and having gear-wheels at its ends, which are connected with thc similar Wheels on the shaft of thc steering-wheel by intermediate chains, and a hanger rigidly secured to the front axle and pivoted to the cross-head, substantially as and for the purpose described.

G. In a hand-propelled vehicle, the combination, with an adjustable swinging frame carrying the driving mechanisnnof a table arranged above said trame and the devices supported thereon, and vertical standards secured to the swinging frame and the front end of the table for supporting the latter in an inclined position.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignaturc in presence of tivo Witnesses.

CYRI'S YINGS".

Witnesses:

A. C. YINGs'r, J. H. ULRICH.

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